Night ski the Pembina Nordic Trails

Many of you are probably on a mid-winter work schedule of starting your day in the dark and ending your day in the dark. My mom, a bonafide sun worshiper, hated the dark of winter and until recently I would consider myself cut from the same cloth, minus the sun worshiping. But, this year I’ve come to appreciate the winter night sky a whole lot more, especially around the times of a full moon.

I don’t know what it is but the full moon in the winter is magical. Maybe it is because the moon is up so early I can actually stay awake to see it, or maybe it is because the reflection off the snow seems to amplify the brightness. Since November I have taken advantage of the moonlit nights by dusting off the nordic skis and hitting the Pembina Nordic Ski Trails. What started out as a practical solution to a family/recreation balance has turned out to be an activity that makes the dark of winter bearable and something to look forward to.

Some practical tips before you head out

Moonlight skiing can be intimidating so my recommendation is to first go with someone who has gone before. The first time I went, I went with two avid skiers. It was a dark night. But, with mild temperatures, and three headlamps we had no trouble navigating the trail. Another navigation tip is to first do the trail in daylight so mapping by moonlight or no light is a non-issue.

Thirdly, not all headlamps are built the same. This fall I went out with a buddy and we miscalculated when the moon was going to crest the trees, so for the first part of the trail we needed to use our headlamps. My headlamp was pretty dim and had I not already had a mental map of the trail I would have had trouble seeing what was coming at me. My buddy wore her very bright headlamp. Her lamp had visibility for at least 10ft-15ft, if not more. I ended up skiing in front of her and using her lamp light for most of our ski. So before you set out make sure your batteries are charged, and you have a good quality lamp because skiing blind isn’t all that fun.

Check the weather conditions including: moon rise time, cloud cover, wind chill and temperatures. The weather can make or break an evening adventure. I can tell ya experiencing a full moon ski on a clear night versus a cloud cover night are two vastly different experiences.

Weather really has a bearing on all things outside, especially what you wear. Dressing in layers is always a smart decision whenever you are heading outside for the winter. There are many books, and blog posts on exactly how to do this, but one other little trick I’ve used to keep my feet warm in the winter is wearing a vapour barrier. Vapour barrier is just a fancy word for a grocery bag. Feet and toes tend to get cold because the moisture that wicks from your foot cools in your boot and makes a little ice cube surrounding your toes.

A vapour barrier, keeps the wet close to your feet and out of your boot so your foot does not become cold. I did this on a winter camping ski last year and it worked! I put the grocery bag on my foot, my socks over the bag and then my boots. This way my socks were also nice and dry when we got into camp.

Finally have some fun and enjoy the wonder of the night. Because once the days get longer the moon won’t be so easy to observe.